Agenda item

CORPORATE STRATEGY 2018/23 - UPDATE APRIL 2021

Minutes:

The Executive Board Member for Communities and Rural Affairs presented an update on the Council’s Corporate Strategy for 2018-23, as at April 2021. The report detailed the progress being achieved against the Council’s Well Being objectives adopted in June 2018, as amended to reflect developing priorities and the impact of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, Brexit and climate change. It was considered good practice to ensure the Corporate Strategy was up to date in order that resources were allocated to priorities. The Improvement Objectives also had to be published annually in accordance with both the Local Government (Wales Measure 2009) and The Well-being of Future Generations Act.

 

Supporting presentations were also made by Executive Board Members Councillors D. Jenkins (Resources) and P. Hughes Griffiths (Culture Sport and Tourism) in relation to their specific portfolios.

 

The following questions/issues were raised on the report:-

·       Arising from a reference to the recent death of a child in Pembrokeshire as a result of assault and neglect officers agreed to ascertain what safeguarding arrangements were in place in Carmarthenshire with regard to home-educated children;

·       Members were assured that all the actions included in the Strategy were embedded in the proposed budget for 2021/22 due to be considered at Council;

·       In response to a comment the Executive Board Member for Communities and Rural Affairs stated that whilst the Council’s ambition was to achieve all the objectives within the Strategy there would have to be a certain amount of flexibility in moving forward with priorities possibly changed due to the uncertainties presented by the current pandemic;

·       Reference was made to the need to improve public transport in rural areas as the current situation exacerbated poverty and impacted on employment opportunities in those areas and necessitated reliance on private transport;

·       In response to a comment the Committee was advised of the continuing efforts being made to improve broadband connection throughout Carmarthenshire which included the current voucher schemes funded by UK Government. The Head of ICT and Corporate Policy agreed to circulate details of those areas of Carmarthenshire which currently had no broadband connectivity.

·       Reference was made to the need to ensure that the former Amman Valley rail line to Llanelli was preserved to ensure that the Ammanford area could benefit in terms of tourism and the developments taking place in Llanelli and Swansea Bay. The Executive Board Member for Communities and Rural Affairs responded that it was the Executive Board’s ambition to seek funding, possibly from Welsh Government, to reopen the railway line as it would also benefit the Council’s climate change agenda. The Executive Board Member for Culture, Sport and Tourism concurred with the view that the reopening of the line would be a major boost to tourism in the area;

·       Disappointment was expressed over the fact that the 2011 Census showed that the number of Welsh speakers in Carmarthenshire had reduced to 43.9% compared to 50.1% in 2001. The Executive Board Member for Culture, Sport and Tourism referred to the Council’s support for the promotion of the Welsh language at all levels as indicated in the Welsh Language Annual Report [Minute 7 below refers].

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Corporate Strategy 2018/23 Update April 2021 report be received.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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